Report on the Course of Caodaism at Dhaka University, Bangladesh

Updated 2012-04-13 15:02:56

 

Department of World Religions and Culture

5009 Arts Building, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Phone:8802-8612651, Pabx:9661900 / 6430, 6431, 6432

Fax: 8802-8615583, Email:  religion@bangla.net

 

September 14, 2010

 

From: Mohammad Jahangir Alam

Lecturer of Caodai course

Department of World Religions and Culture

University of Dhaka

Bangladesh

To: His Eminence Cardinal Thuong Tam Thanh

Chairman of the Caodai Sacerdotal Council

Tay Ninh Viet Nam

Report on the Course of Caodaism at Dhaka University, Bangladesh

Ever since the birth of the Department of World Religions and Culture of Dhaka University in 1999 has been increasingly felt the need for moral training of the students and conducting research in world religions. In order to reach the targeted vision, the Department of World Religions and Culture introduced a four-year Bachelor Degree in 2005. The subjects offered in this program include almost all religious traditions of the world. It is not possible to teach all religions as major courses. The courses that are taught as major ones, Caodaism is one of them. The course is introduced in the beginning of the program after the academic committee approved it in June, 2005. Professor Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam focused on the role of Caodai Religious Tradition in achieving targeted goals. He worked after it since a distinguished delegation of Caodai Overseas Missionary members visited the Department of World Religions and Culture under the leadership of honorable President of the Caodai Overseas Missionary, Rev. Canh Tran, in 2003. Mentionably, with his assistance, members of the Missionary made wonderful presentations on Caodaism that tremendously impressed both teachers and students of the Department. They also met the Honorable President of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. He was also tremendously impressed by the catholicity of the teaching of this tradition. Immediately after the meeting with the members of Caodai Overseas Missionary, Prof. Islam inspired Mohammad Jahangir Alam, a post graduate research scholar, first to conduct a research on Caodaism. He accepted the offer and enrolled for M.Phil. in 2004. Professor Islam talked to the President of Caodai Overseas Missionary over the matter. Rev. Canh Tran was very happy and both of them took a series of effective initiatives in trying to introduce a course on Caodaism at the University. To give it a targeted coverage, Rev. Canh Tran started to provide guidance to create the course curriculum, gave grants to students, provided textbooks, and advised us regularly on many others religious and educational matters. So, under the proper supervision and guidance of Dr. Islam and Rev. Canh Tran, Mr. Alam successfully completed his research and was awarded M.Phil. Degree in September, 2009. In the following year (2005), another post graduate research scholar, Md. Shaikh Farid also showed interest and enrolled for M. Phil. in Caodaism who was also awarded degree in 2010.

 

Finally, Dr. Islam inspired and guided the approach in introducing a course on Caodaism in the department. He could successfully convince the faculty. Therefore, members of the Academic Committee felt the need of Caodaism and took the decision to teach this religion in the third year. The syllabus is designed with 37 courses and 28 of them are selected to teach in the program. All of them are compulsory. As students have no alternative ways, all of them have to enroll for the Caodai Religious Tradition in the Third Year. All courses are of equal value and under the semester system, each course carries 100 marks. There are two semesters in a year. Students are required to complete 8 semesters to obtain a 4 year Bachelor Degree. 3rd year contains 5th and 6th semesters. It means that in every 3rd year-5th semester, the Caodai Religious Tradition is taught. Honors Program started with 2005-2006 academic session. As Caodai Religious Tradition was put in the third year, students of the Department officially started to learn Caodaism when they were promoted to third year in 2008. Students enroll for 4 courses per semester and are expected to complete the 8 courses in 2 semesters in the 3rd year. Caodai Religious Tradition is taught in the first semester.

The Course has already been taught in the following sessions:

Class of 2005-2006, learning Caodaism in third year 2008; number of students: 35

Class of 2006-2007, learning Caodaism in third year 2009; number of students: 40

Class of 2007-2008, learning Caodaism in the current year (2010); number of students: 44.

 

The students are attending the classes and participating in the discussion regularly. Courses under semester system are conducted by two teachers and scripts are evaluated by the same ones.

The topics offered in this course include:

History

 

1. Origin:

- Historical Roots of Caodaism; Establishment of Caodaism;

2. Development:

- Caodaism - a syncretistic religion: Elements, from world's main religions, include Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, as well as Geniism, an indigenous religion of Viet Nam.

- Sectarianism; Reunification; Organizational Structure of Caodaism;

 

Philosophy:

 

1. Spiritism

2. Concept of Unity- the Primordial Unity

- Unity of God,

- Unity of Religion, and

- Unity of Mankind,

3. Fundamental Principles,

4. Third Revelatory Period/Third Universal Amnesty/Third Alliance,

5. Caodai Spirit of Philanthropy,

6. Divine Eye,

- Caodai Ethics preserves: humans, animals and Plants Rights;

- Beliefs and Practices;

- Caodaism in Modern Vietnam, Australia and North America;

 

Method of Instruction

Teaching is done through lectures, supplemented by presentation and group discussions. For the course, students are assigned text books and lecture materials. Supplementary texts/journals/reading materials can either be read in or borrowed from the library. Students are required to prepare work assignments as per guideline and schedule provided by the course teachers, participate in class discussion and sit for periodical quizzes and class tests. The medium of instruction is mainly English, but Bangla is also used as when needed.

Evaluation of Students

A student is evaluated on the basis of his/her overall performance in examinations (mid-term and final examinations), assignment, class tests, class participation and class attendance. For the course, the mid-terms (2 mid-terms, conducted by two teachers) carry 30 percent; the three hours semester final examination carries 60 percent while tutorial examination and class attendance carry 10 percent marks of the course. The course teachers (Mr. Farid and Mr. Jahangir Alam) are responsible to evaluate the students.

Students are learning this religion with a very great curiosity and deep interest. Concepts of three revelatory periods, Caodaism-a third revelation, third and last Alliance, syncretism, spiritist means, primordial unity, divine eye, Direct Communication of God with humans, very exclusive harmony between humans, animals and plants including its arts and architecture impress all of the students most.

Some general questions that students want to know are as follows:

- Can Caodaism be called a strictly monotheistic religion?

- Is it a revealed religion? Doesn't the worship of mother Goddess contradict the oneness of Cao Dai?

- Why is it called a reformed Buddhism? Is Ngo Van Chieu the prophet of Caodaism?

- Does Third Alliance mean to unite all religions into a single religion?

- What is called the Caodai sacred Scripture? Does God select a spirit to communicate with the mediums?

- Doesn't the sectarianism in Caodaism violate its spirit of Third Alliance? and so on.

 

However, limitations in Vietnamese terms and their proper pronunciation sometime prevent the spirit of lectures in the classes. Otherwise, there is no problem with the course.

Report prepared by Jahangir Alam

Dhaka, 14 September 2010

Approved by Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam

Chairman of the Department of World Religions and Culture